New Yard Update

The new “Discovery Track” is finally finished and is now home to the Sea Island and the Virginia Beach.  These cars will serve as our on-site offices and meeting room. The Sea Island is almost ready to occupy; however, the Virginia Beach still needs a complete interior remodel.

Gretna Heritage Festival

 

Your dedicated volunteers completed the annual Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) inspection just in time to steam up and operate the engine. She is now fired and under steam at the yard in advance of the move to the West Bank during the day tomorrow under diesel powered escort. Once we arrive at the 4th Street track in Gretna LASTA will drop the fire for the duration of the event and relight for the return to Old Jefferson on Monday the 10th. Come out while we are on the move and crossing the Huey P. Long Bridge on either of these days. The exact move times will be posted as we get them coordinated with our partner railroads.

The engine will be displayed prominently on 4th St. by the intersection of Huey P. Long Avenue. LASTA is bringing the Jefferson Parlor car and the LASTA Caboose along with the “Mike Hankins” Memorial Crew Car. The 745 cab will be staffed for tours again this year. LASTA volunteer and certified instructor “Bigfoot” will staff the Operation Lifesaver display inside the Caboose. The Jefferson will be set up for our members to tour and take a break from the festival action in style.

New this year for the festival is our corporate sponsor Ellsworth Corporation’s large display trailer setup with another batch of beautifully restored marine engines and artifacts. Two of these will be connected to an external compressor in lieu of live steam to actually operate.

Wear you LASTA attire or buy some new items at our gift shop. The LASTA HO-scale model of the consist will be on display for sale of additional raffle tickets. Photographs will be allowed on the front of the engine again this year.

Pass the word along for others that may be headed to the fest to come see us and see how your generous donations have allowed your LASTA volunteers to maintain the last remaining Louisiana built locomotive with meticulous care.

Thank you for your continued support!!

Barry Keegan
LASTA Director of Marketing

2011 Steamfest

Progress in the new Yard

Steam Fest III

Experience historic Southern Pacific steam locomotive # 745, “The Spirit of Louisiana,” (under steam) along with her exhibit train featuring “steam train and bluegrass music.” New this year is the bluegrass music element as we start New Orleans’ first bluegrass music festival. There will also be a model train layout, a kiddy train for the little ones to ride on, antique cars, a wonderful gift shop as well as delicious food and drinks.  Every hour there will be live bands playing exciting bluegrass music! Come and enjoy this unique piece of Louisiana railroad history and the stirring sounds of bluegrass!

The Steam Train Bluegrass Festival will be held on Riverview (the fly) behind Audubon Zoo. It takes place Saturday, October 4 and Sunday, October 5, 2008

(Saturday – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) The festival is free but there is a fee to view the exhibits aboard the train as well as the cab of SP #745 under steam.

For more information call 504-897-2464 or go to www.LASTA.org.

Steam Fest III

Visitors were also able to climb aboard our magnificent steam locomotive and our red caboose.

During the event, we maintained 50 lbs of steam so that visitors could feel her ‘alive’. Musical entertainment was provided by Rocky’s Hot Foxtrot Orchestra, Hazel and the Delta Ramblers and Gal Holiday and The Honky Tonk Revue.

745 Journal

Fall 2007 – Coverage of Steam Fest II, and a November Steam Up event with a chance to ride behind 745 at the yard. Christmas party featured Santa arriving at the LASTA yard via red caboose pushed by 745.

Frank Davis does a promo segment on Channel 4 featuring Steam Fest and Steam Up. Donation of 6 wheel roller bearing axles from Baton Rouge NRHS’s passenger consist that was moved from Baton Rouge to Hammond.

Movie Time!

On Saturday, July 14, we gathered at Mike’s house to apply the usual LASTA elbow grease to make some much-needed home repairs.

Later in the month, Listerine on Sundays, a local production, filmed at the LASTA yard for several days. This film is set to be released in early 2008.

745 steaming down the high iron again

On February 7, we departed at approximately 8 am for our test run. We arrived in Baton Rouge around noon, turned at the Canadian National (CN) “Y” and then remained overnight at the KCS Yard .

At 8 am the following morning, we departed for our return trip to New Orleans, arrived at the CN yard just before 2 pm, where we waited until both the north and southbound Amtrak trains passed. We then proceeded to Lambert junction where we met the Public Belt switcher to escort us back to our yard. 745 was back in her home yard by 4:30 PM, successfully completing her first trip since Kansas City Excursion.

Mays Yard by Leo Persick

745 and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons”

745 had all lettering removed from her firemen’s side and replaced with a Southern Railroad “SR” logo as well as the “Southern” name. 745 was also renumbered on that side and under the headlight to “682.” The Jefferson Parlor car also had her lettering removed and was stenciled “Southern” along the side and across the rear platform top.

Pittsburg Kansas Steam Excursion

Kearney, MO – 150th Anniversary

  • “The good times roll on the Spirit of Louisiana” – Kansas City Star (2-27-06)
  • “More than a Whistle Stop” – Kansas City Star (02-06)
  • “Speaking of History” – Kansas City Star interview with 745’s Engineer as we prepared to leave for the next event
  • Interview- Eric Langhorst (8th grade American History Teacher at South Valley Jr. High – Liberty, MO )

Liberty MO

Watco

Liberty, MO

Fat Tuesday – Kansas City

LASTA’s exhibit cars were wonderfully decorated with items from the Kenner Mardi Gras museum and were displayed on Mardi Gras Day (2/28) for media and the Union Station museum staff. The exhibit opened to the public on Saturday, March 4, and remained open for several weeks.

Kansas City

 

 

 

 

LASTA wishes to offer special THANKS to the following people and companies for helping us get 745 to Kansas City and back home:

  • Kansas City Southern Railroad and its employees, from the president down to the car man, for their support and encouragement.
  • New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, for getting 745 into the general transportation system and assisting with our safety training.
  • Canadian National Railway Company (CN Railroad)
  • Wayne Goins and the Plasti-Shell Packing Company for the use of their spur track.
  • Chief Mike Lambert with the Sorrento Fire Department
  • Gonzales Police and Fire Departments
  • Cypress Recycle for the late night fuel oil delivery to Sorrento

  • Chief Burl Larson with the Coushatta Fire Department
  • Cado Parish Dist 1 and 8, Colfax, Coushatta and Morganza as well as other Louisiana firefighters and departments who helped with our water logistics.
  • Decatur(MO) Drexel (MO), Mena (AR), Neosho (MO), Pittsburg (KS) and Sallisaw(OK) Fire Departments
  • A Big Thanks to all our Volunteers!

Kansas City

Kansas City Here We Come

With the assistance of Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard arranged a first-rate Mardi Gras exhibit with the help of the Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau along with the Kenner Marid Gras World. We were ready to celebrate Mardi Gras!
745 departed the KCS yard for Kansas City on February 21. We had an unexpected stop in Sorrento, LA due to mechanical problems. Our driver bearing heated up and forced us to stop. We considered returning home but decided to continue.  The next two days were spend on a short industrial siding, where the crew removed the side rods to allow the engine to be towed. At 11:15 am, on February 24, SP745 departed with TFM Locomotive 1412 providing power.

Steam Train brings Mardi Gras to Kansas City

Press Release Feb 21, 2006

SP-745 Kansas City Union Station

Kansas City’s Union Station and the Louisiana Steam Train
Association announces the Sprit of Louisiana exhibit at Union Station. The Spirit of Louisiana exhibit showcases the history and traditions of Mardi Gras in antique railroad cars pulled by a 1921 steam engine. Both the repairs to the steam train and re-emergence of Mardi Gras after Hurricane Katrina result from strong traditions and deep history. The Mardi Gras exhibit will appear from Friday, February 24 through Tuesday, May 23, 2006.

Mardi Gras, French for “Fat Tuesday”, is the ancient last celebration before
the Christian pre-Easter season of penance and fasting known as Lent. But in New Orleans, Mardi Gras has also evolved into a broader celebration encompassing everything from jazz music, to the African-influenced festivities of the “Mardi Gras Indians”, to the parades both carefully planned and spontaneous, to the full-dress evening balls. Come and see the costumes, the parade throws, the bands, the marching groups, and other elements of this grand celebration.

The train containing the Mardi Gras exhibit includes the last surviving
steam engine built in Louisiana. Number 745, the former Southern Pacific
“Mikado”-type steam locomotive, was built in 1921 and served until 1956. It then retired to display in New Orleans’ Audubon Park. The Louisiana Steam Train Association restored it to operating condition in 2004 and completed repairs after Hurricane Katrina in early February 2006. Today the steam engine operates just as it did in 1921, and pulls antique coaches containing the exhibit.